Time to start planning for your Senior Year! Hard to believe we are coming up on that already! The first order of business for you is to select your Senior Portrait Photographer! The good ones fill up fast and you don’t want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity!

I feel kind of funny posting yet another public service blog but these are things that I find very important! Recently there have been all sorts of social media postings about how the new emergency # is 112 and it is more efficient then 911. I have been telling family and friends that I know that it is not true and asking the questions why would we add another number? Below is a link to an article put out by NENA talking about this very subject. Please pass it onto anyone you think might benefit from it.

As with any postings of warnings and OMG stories I find it a good rule of thumb to check them out on http://www.snopes.com. So far this has been a pretty good site in finding out the origins of these emails and if they are worth giving a second thought to. One of my favorites is the email / social posting about how many spiders a person swallows while they are sleeping. NOT TURE but it is very funny 🙂

So today I received an email from Chase……..or so I thought. Those who create these scams get more and more creative so we have to be more careful! Below is the latest scam email I got and I was close to making the fatal error…..clicking the link, but something told me this didn’t look right. When I clicked on the email address that showed only on my phone as Chase Online it came up with a very strange email, vzeeg2rb@verizon.net. Hmmmmmm I don’t think that came from Chase! Here is the context of the email:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for using Chase. You are required to click the link below to validate your account. This message is obligatory you follow immediately.

Click Here Now

The message will be available in your Secure Message Center until 31/01/2013.

Your personal information is protected by state-of-the-art technology. For more detailed security information or to update your privacy choices, go to our Online Privacy Notice. To change your e-email address, please log on to Chase Online and click your e-mail address on the left-hand side of My Accounts Page.

Here are some screen shots of the actual email.

Bottom line be very careful with emails you receive, especially if they are from a financial institution or if they want personal information. It seems like these are coming more frequently. I did contact Chase and they advised it was fraudulent and I have forwarded the email to them. When in doubt check with the source and DELETE!

What an awesome experience today! My son and I participated in the American Lung Association’s Flight for Air Climb along with several members of the Lakewood Police Department. We climbed 56 flights of stairs at the Republic Plaza located in Denver CO. It was designed to raise money and awareness for this great cause. While it was challenging we definitely want to look at doing it again next year. Thank you to all who participated and braved the blizzard conditions here in snowy Denver CO!

The ARC Thrift store offers so much more the great clothes and accessories, they offer jobs, advocacy and support to those with developmental disabilities. Below is their mission statement and history. So, the next time you have some gently used things around the house you are planning to get rid of think of donating them to this great organization or if you are looking for some awesome deals stop by your local ARC store!

Mission

Through high standards, a commitment to excellence and integrity, our Mission is to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by providing funding to support the 12 Arc and ACL Chapters in Colorado. Arc Chapters provide advocacy and support to persons with developmental disabilities which may include Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy. Arc Chapters help people with disabilities find jobs; find places to live; obtain needed support in schools; and become involved in community activities. Arc Thrift Stores generate approximately $3 million each year to support these advocacy programs.

Background and History

Having opened the first store in 1968, Arc Thrift has a long 40 year history of providing funding to support advocacy for people with developmental disabilities in Colorado

Over the last ten years alone, over $25 Million in funds have been raised by the operation of our stores

After retail operations, 100% of our profit is distributed to the Arc Chapters, Advocacy Denver and the Association for Community Living, all here in Colorado

In the past four decades thousands of kids and adults with developmental disabilities have received help from the Arc Chapters in Colorado. The devotion of our donors and shoppers made this possible.

For more information check them out at http://www.arcthrift.com/mission/index.html